City Council considering student house high-rise

Student organisations are positive while locals have reservations

There is still a long way to go before the green light is given, but the 29-storey building will be able to house some 700 students (Photo: Københavns Kommune)

June 10, 201412:08

by CW

The City Council is deliberating over whether it should construct a 100 metre-high student housing building in the parking area behind the railroad tracks near Nørrebro Station.

The proposal has yet to be looked at by the politicians, but it’s slated for a preliminary hearing, and a pension fund has already expressed a desire to construct the 29-story building that will be able to house some 700 students.

“We have evaluated that the area is well serviced by public transport and it makes sense to utilise it, particularly for student housing,” Anne Skovbro, the head of planning and development at the City Council, told Metroxpress newspaper.

According to Skovbro, 20,000 additional young people have arrived in Copenhagen over the last five years and the building would cater to their housing needs.

Locals sceptical
Student organisations have applauded the plans, but local representatives are sceptical about the proposed building.

“We need to expand our sports halls and culture houses for the many people who already live here,” Uzma Ahmed Andresen, the head of the local committee Nørrebro Lokaludvalg, said.

“New residential buildings are in contrast to those needs. The proposal is deemed an improvement to the area, but the question is whether this is the right solution.”

The area will be getting a Metro station and a market at Mimers Plads square in a few years, but the potential student housing high-rise will have to wait for an approval – specifically of an addendum to the 2013 Urban Area Development Plan – before construction can go ahead.